This comic is a homage to Charles Schulz, the creator of the comic Peanuts, who was born on November 26, 1922. Here's the comic in question by Schulz. xkcd's version has Black Hat as Linus, and Cueball as Lucy. In both comics, when you start thinking about your tongue, you can't stop thinking about it. This is similar to the way that if you start thinking about your breathing, you stop breathing unless you consciously think to breathe. Black Hat says "enjoy the next four weeks" sarcastically, knowing Cueball will be uncomfortably aware of his tongue during that time.

A random person on tumblr also indicates that Schulz's comic is not completely about tongue awareness, instead has deeper meaning about one's existence in the world.

Discussion

What link is that second paragraph talking about? --Jimmy C (talk) 14:54, 12 November 2012 (UTC)

I re-added the link from the explanation originally posted at the blog. --Waldir (talk) 19:09, 25 November 2012 (UTC)

All subcutaneous nerves can feel their environment the same way our bodies can be heard, seen and smelt. Our sensory settings normally turn it into white noise for us so we automagically tune it out. Some people are born without any nerves and some never quite manage to ignore it all.

Mental process ditto. <hint>I suppose one day there could be a chart of the relatively little known illnesses (and the well known ones for that matter (e.g. tinnitus.))</hint>

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